Improvement in machines for making horseshoe-nails



` sheeis--sheei 1. MlLTON- D. WH|PPLE & LYMAN W. WHIPPLE.

Improvement` in Machines for Making Horseshoe Nails.

N0. 125,423', Patented Apri|9,1872.

' 3 Sheets---Svhee 2., MILTON D. WFHPPLE'ZL LYMAN W. WHIPPLE.

Improvement in Machines for Making Horseshoe Na-fis..

No. 125,423, i Patente'dnprilensz.

/nwnsmmm f f i QE.

f Sheet'snSheefS. MILTON D WHI'PPLE 8f, LYMAN W. WH'I'PPLE.

Improvement in Machines forMakingHorseshoe Nails.

N0, 125,423, l Patented April9,187`2.

QW A MM@ UNITED MILTON D. WHIPFLE, OF BRIGHTON, AND LYMAN W. WHIPPLE, OF BOSTON,

` MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR MAKING HORSESHOE-NAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,423, dated April 9, 1872.

SpecificationV describing certain Improve- I ments in Machines for Making Wrought-Nails,

invented byMILToND. WHIPPLE, of Brighton, county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, and LYMAN W. WHIPPLE, of Boston, county of Suolk and State aforesaid.

This machine is intended for the production of wrought-iron nails, of any required length or size, from a continuous coil of wire or 'nailrod, which is wound upon a reel and drawn thencethrough a furnace. On issuingfromthis the rod is of suitable tempera-ture to be formed into a nail by means of the machinery now to be described.

To form a common horseshoe-nail the length of rod required is about three-fourths of an inch; and we will first describe the heating apparatus and those parts that gripe and carry forward this length of rod and place it in the right position for receiving the blows, pressure, and rolling motion ofthe hammers.

Sheet A, Figure I, side'view of the machine and furnace; Sheet B, Fig. II, front view; Sheet G, Fig. III, front view of anvil and attached parts; Sheet C, Fig. IV, front view of anvil and hammers; Sheet C, Fig. V,.back view of the nippers or tongs 5 Sheet C, Fig. VI, side view, showing the nippers and attached parts. A

The movable furnace A, Fig. I, is supported upon legs B, having wheels or casters (l that rest upon the horizontal rails D.

When the machine is in operation the furnace is brought forward, so as to leave as little space as possible between the hole E, from which the heated rod issues, and the anvils.

The furnace is provided with suitable gratebars H, vdraught-holes I, and smoke-pipe J, and has at the end furthest from the machine a reel, F, upon which the rod or wire from which the nails are to be made is wound.

A partition, G, may be used in the furnace, dividing the flre into two parts to facilitate the proper adjustment of the heat. A few feet of the rod is drawnthrough the holes E' E above the fire 38, to be heated previous to starting the machine.

The machine is driven by a gear or a belt applied to the central pulley K` affixed to the horizontal shaft Q. Upon this shaft, to the right and left of the central pulley, are two mitergears, L L', which drive the gears and MQ affixed, respectively, to the diagonal or inclined shafts N N'. A hammer, P, is iixed to the bottom or lower end of the left-hand shaft N, and another hammer, P', is iixed to the end of the right-hand shaft, both being attached to and moving upon the eccentrics 31 and 31'. A pulley, It, on the main shaft Q carries a belt and pulley T. A pinion, U, upon this pulley drives the gear-wheel V upon the horizontal shaft W, which has, near its opposite ends, the cone-shaped projections Y and Y'. The smaller ends of these cones are directed toward the center of the machine, and thus afford a base o r support for the cams orA wipers X X' and The nippers `or tongs are shown in the enlarged views, Figs. V and VI, and in Figs. I and II.

A back bar, 3, Fig. II, extends across the main frame 4t of the machine. To this are bolted two solid arms, 55 and 55', which project forward, and have bolted to their front ends the fixed plate 6, Figs. V, VI, which serves as a support for the back plate 8 and the tongs 7. This iron plate 8 in the rear of the fixed plate 6 receives two pivots, 9 9', which are the iixed fulcrums of the tongs, the motion of opening and closing the tongs being about these points as a center. The back plate 3 also holds one end of the rod and screwy 59. The other end of this rod abuts upon the tongs-plate 8, and thereby governs the length of rod that is fed forward, or, in other words, governs the length of feed ofthe nippers. The tongs are held open by the curved spring 10, and are closed by a wedge, 1l, at the proper intervals.

The operation of the wedge for closin g the tongs, and the mode of moving the tongs to ward the anvils after having griped the nailrods, are as follows: An adjustable cam or wiper, 12, is affixed to the lower main shaft W, which revolves with the shaft W once during the whole time consumed in making one nail. This cam comes in contact with the frictionwheel. 13 on the bent lever or arm 14 and de presses it. The wedge 11 is thus forced forward; and this wedge, `operating between the lower legs of the nippers, iirst closes the nippers on the rod, then feedsthe rod forward,

and lastly opens the nippers, and they return for another feed, the distance traversed by the upper or gripin g end of the tongs being equal to the length of nail-rod that is required for making a nail. The distance to be traversed by the tongs is adjusted, as above named, by the screw 5.) striking against the plate 8. Just before the rod and tongs move toward the anvils the wedge 11 (which projects nearly at right angles from the inclined arm 14) has entered between the lower legs of the nippers and forced them apart, thus closing the upper jaws and griping the nail-rod tightly. The firm hold of the tongs is increased by the entry ot' the wedge still further as the tongs move forward. The wedge, after the nippers have griped the rod tightly, moves ou, which tips the upper ends of the nippers toward the anvil. The depression of the arm 14 bends the spring 21 forward, the arm and spring being connected by the bent rod 22. As soon as the arm 14 is relieved from the action of the cam 12 the spring 2l recovers its position and brings the wedge and the tongs-plate, with the tongs, by the curved rod 0back to place. The tongs are used for gripin g and carrying the nailrod forward. They traverse a distance equal to the length of rod that is required for making one nail, and then give place to a secondary griping apparatus, that takes hold of the rod at a point nearer to the anvils in order that the rod may be held firmly while the nippers are returning for another feed and while the nail is being made, and, at the same time, the nail-rod is being moved alternately to the seats 39 39 which are at ri ghta-n gles with each other at the base of the anvils 16. The nail-rod is carried to the right and left on the anvil for the purpose of having the lat side and the edge of the nail-rod receive the successive blows of the hammers P P. These positions of the nail-rod and nail are shown in Fig. VIII at 49 49.

The griping apparatus is seen in the detached views, Figs. III, VI, and VII. After the tongs have fed the rod forward the lower arm of a bent lever, 41, comes in contact with the cam 40 affixed tor-the side of the cam 12 and depresses a rod, 42, the upper end of which is attached to the back-plate 44 ofthe gripe. This draws down the back plate 44 and enlarges the hole 46 and 47. The plate 44 is held to the plate 43 by means of a pivot or bolt, 45,

both plates having ahole, 46 47, and the plate 44 a vertical reciprocating motion imparted to it. The downward movement to enlarge the hole between the plates is imparted by the rod 42, as referred to above, and the upward movement is made by a spring, 4S, on the quadrantarm 56. lt will be seen that when the plate 44 has nished its-downward movement the hole through the two plates is opened or enlarged, so that the rod can be fed through free; and when this plate-rises it closes the hole or decreases the size ot' the hole, and thus grasps the rod. Through both of these plates, 44 and and 43, a pivot, 45, passes, and is made fast in the anvils 16. Slots made in one ofthe plates and a stub on the other allow the back plate to move up or down. A spring, 4S, fastened to the qlnulra-nt-arln 50 bears upon the top of the back plate 43, which has a square shoulder, 55, formed at the lower end, just above the holes in the plates, to tit upon and gripe the rod. At the top of the front plate 43 a short stud, 51, is fixed, which bears upon the cup-shaped stud 52 fixed just above it in the anvils 16.

The act-ion ofthe two hammers or compressors P P is as follows: (See Figs. II and IV.) The diagonal shafts N and N are set nearly at right angles with each other, and are driven from the shaft Q. by the gears L M and L M. They are supported and turn in bearings affixed to the back pieces 25 and 25 these back pieces being themselves supported by strong pivots 26 and 26 which pass through the frame 4, and are secured at the back of the frame by the nuts 27 and 27. The pivots 26 and 26 in rear of the dotted lines, Fig. II, are the center of motion of the vibrating pieces 25 and 25', and the lower ends of these parts are thrust diagonally upwa d by the direct action of the bars 2S and 2S', which are moved by the cams or wipers X and X affixed to the conicalshaped ends Y and Y of the bottom shaft XV. TheseI bars 28 and 2S traverse in guides or boxes 29 and 29, and a part of their length is formed into a screw, provided at the upper end with nuts 30 and 30 that abut upon the lower ends of the hammer-shaft pieces 25 and 25. The springs 3S and 38 attached to the parts 25 and 25 bear against the sloping sides of the anvils 16. The reaction of these springs and gravity bring the hammer-shaft, plates back to place.

In making anail, the cross-section of which, when nished, is rectangular, one of the hammers, P, acts upon the edge of the nail 49, and the other hammer, P, upon the flat side 49. The hammers are forced forward by the cams X X to hammer the nail, and, at the same time that they work the iron of the heated nail-rod toward the point of the nail by their rolling action, a peculiar thrusting and progressive lnotion is imparted to the curved faces of the hammers by the action of the eccentrics 31 and 31 placed at the lower ends of the two hammer-shafts N and N. The position of the eccentrics is seen in Fig. IV, the hammer P being forward and the hammer P back at its furthest point, and ready for a stroke forward or toward the anvils 16.

The two positions ot' the nail upon the anvils, as showniu Fig. VIII and before referred to, are effected as follows: The quadrant-arm 50 is attached to the top of the front plate 43, Figs. II, III, and VII, and has, at its free end, a bow-spring, 53, provided with a guide-pin, 54, which plays upon the cam O affixed to the hammer-shaft N. The cam is of such form as to act upon the guide-pin 54 and move the combined griping-plates 43 and 44 about the pivot or center 45. in the plates isby this means, vibrated back and forth, and moves the nail-rod alternately to The holding-orifice 46 47 i lthe two positions 49 and 49'.

When the nail is shaped and the point formed, which is all done by the hammers, the bars 2S and .28' leave the two cams XX' and thehammers fall back from the anvils, their backward movement being facilitated by the springs 33 and The nail is now to be cut off from the rod. This is effected as follows: The cam 32 on the conical end Y' of .the shaft IV comes in contact with the direct-actin g rod 33, the length of which is adjustable at the turn-buckle 34.

This rod is parallel with the rod 28, andis curved upward near its upper end, at which point it is fixed to a pivot, 35, (see Fig. IIL) at the lower end of the curved knife 23. This knife is pivoted at 36 to the anvils 16, and has at its opposite end a slot and pin, 24, by which the knife is held close to the anvils, and makes a clean cut when it is thrust forward by the combined action of the cam 32 and the kniferod 33.

Attached to the anvils 16, by two slots and pins, 56 and 56', and nearly at right angles with the knife 23, there is a narrow plate, 55', for supporting the nail-rod. At its upper end there is a spring, 57. lVhen the knife rises this bar or plate is moved upward, and when the knife is liberated the recoil of the spring 57 that bears upon the top of the bar 55 assists in carrying the knife back to its place. The lower end of the plate 55' bears upon the nailrod and prevents it from being twisted or thrown out of place by the cutting action of the knife. The flat side of the knife also serves as a guide to the hammers as they traverse in front of it. When the griping-plates 43 and 44 let go of the nail the hammers have fallen back and the finished nail drops without obstruction.

The friction segment-plates 17 and 18, Fig. VI, are intended to regulate the strength of 'the gripe ofthe tongs when, from any reason,

it requires a stonger gripe to pull the rod forward-as, for instance, when a coil comes in the rod-and equalize the motion whenv the tongs seize or let go of the nail-rod. One of these plates is fastened to the fixed front plate 6 and the other to the movable tongs-plate 3, and they are held in contact with each other by the adjusting-screws 19, the ends of which enter the plate 18, while the heads of the screws play in a curved slot, 58, formed in the opposite plate 17. By turning the screws 19 the friction of the plates is increased or diminhead, or to give it any peculiar form, the shape of this die can be changed for that purpose. The anvils have also a corresponding indentation in their faces.

What we claim, and desire t-o secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. The combination of the hammers P P',

ecccntrics 31 31', shafts N N', and the anvils,

as ,and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the hammers P P', eccentrics 31 31', shafts NN', the anvils, pivoted plates 25 25', bars 2S 28', and cams X X', or their equivalents, substantially as described.

3. The device herein described for griping and holding the rodwhile the nail is being formed, consisting, in part, of the sliding plate 44, plate 43, having holes'46 47 in them, spring 48, and rod 41, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the griping device referred to in the next preceding claim, I claim an arm, 50, and cam 0 for oscillating the gripin g-plates and for transferring the rod to the two anvils, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the pivoted nipperjaws 7 7, plates 8 and 6, spring 10, wedge 11, cam 12, arm 14, spring 21, and connecting-rods 22 and o,l as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination with the mechanism referred to in fifth clause, I claim the screw 39 for regulating the length of feed of the nippers, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with the mechanism referred to in fth claim, I claim the friction-segments 17 and 18 and the bolts 19, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. I claim the combination of the anvils, the pivoted cutter 23, sliding plate 55', rod 33, and cam 32, as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination ofthe reel F, the furnace A, the tongs 7, the holders 43 44, the hammers P P', the cutting apparatus 53 55, and the anvils, substantially as described.

MILTON D. WHIPPLE. [L. s] LYMAN W. WHIPPLE. [L. s]

In presence of- J oHN M. BATCHELDER, Jos. STONE. 

